The Hundred 2026: New Owners, Team Names, and Bigger Budgets 2026

The Hundred 2026 season brings a wave of changes including new owners, team name rebrands, and significantly bigger budgets that reshape the landscape of English domestic cricket. Since the last ball of the Hundred was bowled, private investors have injected over £500 million into the eight teams, triggering a cascade of transformations from player salaries to coaching staff and even logos.

What Has Changed for The Hundred 2026?

On the surface, the competition retains its core structure: eight teams based in the same cities, each playing 100-ball innings in sets of five or ten deliveries. The format remains unique, with each team facing six of their rivals once and their nearest neighbours twice, while women’s and men’s matches are played back-to-back. A win earns four points, ties and abandonments yield two each, and the group phase runs from Tuesday to August 12, culminating in a final between the table-topper and the winner of a playoff between second and third.

However, almost everything else has been overhauled. All teams now operate under new or dramatically altered ownership, and three have adopted names that mirror their Indian Premier League parent franchises: Oval Invincibles become MI London, Northern Superchargers rebrand as SunRisers Leeds, and Manchester Originals transform into Manchester Super Giants—complete with an elephant-themed logo that has sparked both criticism and affection.

How Much Are Teams Spending in 2026?

Player salaries have soared. The men’s salary pot increased by 45% to £2.05 million per team, while the women’s pot doubled to £880,000. Top earners now command far more: in 2024 the best-paid men received £125,000; by 2025 that rose to £200,000, and Harry Brook is reportedly earning £465,000 for SunRisers Leeds this year. The minimum salary remains £31,000 for men. On the women’s side, Australia’s Beth Mooney and New Zealand’s Sophie Devine secured the largest contracts.

Key Takeaways from the 2026 Hundred Revolution

• Private investment exceeds £500 million into all eight teams, driving unprecedented financial growth.
• Three teams rebranded to align with IPL franchises: MI London, SunRisers Leeds, and Manchester Super Giants.
• Salary pots increased dramatically for both men (45%) and women (100%), attracting top global talent.
• Harry Brook’s £465,000 deal highlights the new earning potential for star players.
• Format unchanged – 100-ball innings, same cities, back-to-back women’s and men’s matches.

How Will These Changes Affect Team Performance?

The extra funds allow teams to recruit stronger coaching staff and higher-calibre players. With bigger budgets, squads can retain marquee names and invest in development programmes. Early indications suggest that MI London (formerly Oval Invincibles) and SunRisers Leeds are early favourites, though the competitive balance may shift as new ownerships settle.

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